Teeth whitening is beneficial to candidates whose teeth discolouration is superficial (not extending to the second layer of the tooth known as dentine). This procedure only changes the colour of your smile and it is important to have realistic expectations.

For instance, your teeth can be made whiter, but having flawless white teeth can only be achieved with the use of crowns and veneers. 

We offer in-office teeth whitening and take home whitening. The choice of what is appropriate for each client will be made in conjunction with our dentist during the treatment plan.

A filling replaces the part of a tooth that has been lost due to dental caries (tooth decay), accidental damage resulting in fractured tooth, cervical abrasion from wrong tooth brushing technique, amongst others.

We utilise biocompatible tooth material such as composite and glass ionometer cement.

NOTE: AMALGAM RESTORATION HAS BEEN PHASED OUT IN OUR PRACTICE.

At the centre of each tooth is a collection of blood vessels and nerves known as the pulp. Infection of the pulp can be caused by trauma to the tooth, tooth decay, cracks or failed repeated dental work. The infection can then spread down the root canal to force an access around the root tip which could show as a rounded dark spot on the dental x-ray.

The tooth then becomes painful, tender to bite on, particularly sensitive to heat and cold, or may have an obvious large cavity which extends up to the sensitive part of the tooth known as the pulp or the tooth could change colour to a dark shade.

Sometimes the infection spreads even more to form a swelling on the gum (gum-boil) and at other times the face may become swollen. In some cases, the pulp of the tooth could die without causing any noticeable pain.

The procedures involves

1. Confirmation of the damage to the teeth by X-ray

2. Application of local anaesthetic to numb the tooth

3. Opening up of the tooth structure to create access to the pulp

4. Removal of the inflamed pulp, cleaning and disinfecting the pulp canal

5. Sealing the root canal

6. Placing a crown to protect the tooths natural crown

NOTE: THIS PROCEDURE MAY BE COMPLETED IN ONE OR MORE VISITS, DEPENDING ON THE NATURE OF THE PULPAL DAMAGE.

A dental bridge is used to close or bridge the gaps in your smile when you have a missing tooth or teeth. A dental bridge is made up of a false tooth (Pontic) held in place by crowns attached to existing teeth on either side. This false tooth (Pontic) replaces the missing tooth, thus filling the gap.

There are four types of dental bridges

1. Traditional Dental Bridge - This consists of a false tooth/teeth being held in place by the dental crowns cemented to adjacent teeth. This is the most popular type of dental bridge and can be used where there are existing teeth on either side of the missing tooth/teeth.

2. Cantilever Dental Bridge - This is similar to the traditional type but the false tooth (Pontic) is only held in place by a crown cemented on one adjacent tooth. In this case you only need to have one tooth next to the missing tooth space.

3.  Maryland Dental Bridge - This is similar to the traditional dental bridge in the sense that the false tooth replacing the missing tooth is anchored on two adjacent teeth, but in this case, the anchor is either made of metal or porcelein framework which is bonded to the anchor teeth,

4. Implant - support Dental Bridge - This type of dental bridge, utilises implants as support as opposed to crowns or framework. Typically, one implant is surgically placed for every missing tooth and these implants hold the bridge in position.

A dental crown is a tooth shaped cap, placed over a tooth to cover the tooth either to restore its shape, size, strength and appearance. The crown, when cemented on the tooth, fully covers the tooth up to the gum line. There are several indications for a crown, some are out - lined below;

1. To restore a broken tooth or a severely worn down tooth 

2. To protect a weak tooth 

3. To cover and support a tooth with large filling

4. To hold a dental bridge in place

5. To correct a misshapen tooth or cover a discoloured tooth

6. To cover a dental implant

7. To improve the general aesthetic appearance of the person

Crowns can be made of different materials such as stainless steel, gold, silver, porcelain with a metal alloy. zirconia, resin(temporary crowns) and other materials. Preparation of the tooth to receive a permanent crown often consist of two visits.

1st Visit

The dentist will take an x-ray of the tooth and perform a root canal if the tooth is infected or damaged, after which the crown portion of the tooth is prepared under local anaesthetic, and an impression of the tooth is taken. This impression is sent to the dental laboratory for the preparation of the permanent crown.

A temporary crown will be fabricated during this visit on the chair side by the dentist and fitted on the prepared tooth to protect it while waiting for the permanent crown.

2nd Visit

The dentist will remove the temporary crown, check the fit and colour of the permanent crown and if all is acceptable, the new crown will be permanently cemented in place.

Dental veneers are thin custom-made shells of tooth-coloured materials designed to cover the front of your teeth. These shells are usually made of porcelain and are bonded to the front of the teeth altering the colour, shape, size or length of the teeth.

Veneers are indicated for teeth that are discoloured, worn down, chipped or broken, uneven or irregularly shaped tooth surface and teeth with gaps in between them.

Veneers have both advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

1. Providing a natural tooth appearance

2. The gum tolerates porcelain well

3. The porcelain veneer are stain resistant

4. The process of preparation is conservative 

Disadvantages

1. Veneers are usually not repairable if they crack

2. The tooth might become sensitive to hot or cold food

3. Veneers could fall off if excessive pressure is put on the tooth/teeth

4. Individuals who clench or grind their teeth are poor candidate for veneers

Dental inlays and onlays are indirect fillings, which means that they are fabricated outside the mouth at a dental laboratory and then bonded to the tooth by the dentist, which is in contrast to a filling applied directlyto the cavity by the dentist during a clinic visit. 

Inlays and onlays are normally indicated when a tooth has suffered a damage such as extensive tooth decay that a simple filling will not suffice for adequate cover-age of the crown.

The process of getting an inlay/onlay is similar to that of a crown but the important distinction is that less structure of the tooth will be removed in this case. This takes place in two visits:

1st Visit

The tooth will be prepared under local anaesthetic and impression made of the prepared tooth, then sent to the dental laboratory. A temporary filling will be placed into the prepared tooth until the next visit. 

2nd Visit

The temporary filling will be removed under local anaesthetic, and the fabricated inlay/onlay will be attached to the tooth with a material that hardens when exposed to light.

WITH GOOD ORAL CARE, INLAYS AND ONLAYS ARE LONG LASTING

A denture is a removable device fabricated to replace missing teeth and surrounding tissues. There are two types of dentures; partial and complete dentures. Partial dentures are used to replace one or more missing  teeth while complete dentures are used when all the teeth are missing. 

Dentures are made out of a hard resin which is more fragile than natural teeth, thus wearing out more quickly; resulting in its replacement at least every five years.

The supporting structures of a denture holding the artificial teeth resembles the natural gum line and it could be made from hard resin or a flexible one that is more comfortable.

Advantages of Dentures

1. Dentures improves the appearance of a smile when there are missing teeth.

2. Dentures make it possible to eat food that requires chewing. 

3. Dentures offer a cheaper replacement for missing teeth.